The Washington DC based Leon H. Sullivan
Foundation, which bears the name of a distinguished fighter against Apartheid
and other human rights violations, has decided to celebrate its IX Summit in….
Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea. This is something akin to holding a Vegan’s
Convention in Buenos Aires or a Naval Conference in La
Paz, Bolivia. The Foundation has as main principle “an unwavering commitment to
democratic ideals, both in the U.S. and across the world”. However, Equatorial
Guinea’s regime is dictatorial and one of the most corrupt and abusive in Africa. In spite of this the
website of the Foundation describes the host government as follows: “Since August 3rd, 1979, the Republic of
Equatorial Guinea has been lead (sic) by H.E. Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. Equatorial
Guinea has enjoyed the most productive period of peace, stability and
development in its history. A period of peace and development have allowed
Equatorial Guinea’s income per capita to steadily rise to one of the highest on
the continent….” [in fact, 2/3 of the population live in extreme poverty].

The Foundation has
closed its eyes to the long record of corruption of the President of Equatorial
Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and of his son Teodorin Nguema
Obiang Mangue, now second vice-president of the country and the dictator’s heir
apparent.

In a letter to the
Sullivan Foundation EG, a human rights organization based in Washington DC,
said that the son of the dictator has been issued an international arrest order
for corruption by French judges. He has spent “about $300 million” in the U.S.
in the last ten years, obtained through extortion and fraud. In http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/equatorialguinea/8851377/Equatorial-Guinea-dictators-son-splurged-millions-of-impoverished-countrys-money.html
) the Telegraph, U.K. reported that his toys included “a $2 million Maserati, and two Bugatti Veyron worth $2
million and $1.3 million. He also owned eight Ferraris, seven Rolls Royce, five
Bentleys, four Mercedes, two Lamborghinis and an Aston Martin. In June 2005 he
bought two high performance 50ft speedboats worth $2 million and had one
shipped to Hawaii so he could use it on a visit there. It capsized and had to
be salvaged at a cost of $400,000…. In what would have been his most lavish
expense he commissioned a German company in 2008 to design a "mega yacht" worth $380 million,
nearly three times what Equatorial Guinea spends on health and education in a
year”.

In a very strong letter of protest (http://humanrightsfoundation.org/August_1_Sullivan_Foundation_Letter.pdf
) addressed to the Sullivan Foundation against its intentions to hold its IX Summit in Equatorial Guinea, the
Human Rights Foundation, based in New York, has said: “In
just one Washington, D.C.-based scandal at Riggs Bank they were caught transferring
sums as large as $700 million into personal bank accounts. The Obiang family is currently
under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice for
corruption. The DOJ is currently attempting to seize one Gulfstream jet, one
palatial mansion in Malibu, California, and millions of dollars of Michael
Jackson memorabilia belonging to Obiang’s son, Teodorin. In court papers filed

in
June, prosecutors laid out evidence of alleged grand corruption in
Equatorial Guinea, where Obiang allowed his son to amass a fortune by stealing
from the country’s resource wealth. A French judge has also issued
an arrest warrant for Teodorin on charges of money laundering. In response, your
host has recently appointed Teodorin the country’s new vice-president”.

The
Equatoguinean government, adds the letter from The Human Rights Foundation, has
been described as a “family criminal conspiracy” by former U.S. Ambassador to
that country, John Bennett.

Why
is this happening? It seems irrational that a Human Rights organization like
the Sullivan Foundation decides to do what it has decided to do. One only possible
explanation (is there another one?) is that money from the Obang regime is
going to the Foundation. I can find no other motive that could “persuade” the foundation
to do what is doing. If there is another one that would at least explain ( never could it justify it) the
reason for the decision I would be more than glad to stand corrected. No
matter what the reason for the decision might be, it represents a tragic
betrayal of the legacy left to the foundation by Reverend Leon H. Sullivan